Weekend Fun with Hogs for the Cause, St. Baldrick's, and Festivals Galore!

Happy weekend and we deserve it!!

Weekend Festivals and Fun!!

The delicious smell of pork and the amazing sounds of music are filling the air over at City Pork (a/k/a City Park) tomorrow for Hogs for the Cause! This pork lovers paradise includes 80 competing BBQ teams plus lots of beer, food and trucks and of course music! The musical line-up is spectacular with the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Rebirth Brass Band, Robert Randolph and the Family Band with special guest Anders Osborne and more!! And remember all the money goes to a worthy cause - to aid families with children suffering from pediatric brain cancer. So get high on the Hog for a very good cause! Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate - Gates open at 11:00 am - for more info click here.

Celebrate St. Baldrick's Day and help out kids with pediatric cancer.  There are two big events going on Saturday where you can have some fun and help out!!  Come on over to Finn McCool's Irish Pub (3701 Banks Street) at noon for some head shaving, some Irish fun and libations!

And no worries, if you can't make Finn's there's more head shaving fun at the Deutsches Haus (1023 Ridgewood Drive) with an after party with the Mustard Brothers. Shavings will be from 5 pm to 8 pm with numerous activities for kids while heads are shaved for donations. So if you have some extra funds you can spare, please visit www.stbaldricks.org and donate either to the event or to a team.  (Rumor has it that a really hot Pussyfooter - Ms. Kathleen Ford - will be shaving her head for the cause!!)

And if you happen to be in the Quarters head on over to the French Market for the Nola Food Fest!  The flavorful fest runs Saturday 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  Four blocks in the French Market will be lined with dozens of top Food Fest cooks from New Orleans and all of Louisiana as well as from all across America, each offering a unique specialty. This is NOT typical and expected festival fare: it is a taste of America's most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie's dream. Portions are right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of great regional eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from real Texas pit barbecue to Pecan Pie to artisan boudin sausage made by Cajun country's most beloved butchers. There is no admission fee - just bring plenty of appetite!  For more info visit here.

And while your in the Quarter head on over to Armstrong Park for the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival - Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 am to 7:00 pm. Popular Brooklyn-based bhangra funk band Red Baraat and the great Cuban percussionist/singer Pedrito Martinez will be among the featured performers at the sixth annual Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival, in Armstrong Park. The Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival is one of the cultural enrichment events produced and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. This event showcases the music and culture of the African Diaspora, tracing the musical voyage from Africa to the Caribbean and the Gulf South. Free admission and for more info click here.

And for all you crawfish lovers out there the Louisiana Crawfish Festival (8245 W. Judge Perez Dr.) continues all weekend long in beautiful Chalmette!  You don't want to miss the endless crawfish dishes, the crawfish races, rides, crafts and plenty of great music!!  For more info visit: www.louisisanacrawfishfestival.com

Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this today and tomorrow...If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire -  http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!!



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Weekend Fun w/a First and Fresh Fridays, Cocktails for Dogs, Christmas Fun, Markets and Holiday on the Boulevard!

Happy Friday and TGIF!!

Friday Fun

Don't miss the First Friday on Fulton Street (right around the corner from Harrah's) tonight from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The special festive evening includes a special sampling selection from the Abita Beer Christmas Ale tap in the Manning’s Courtyard, along with featured guest Archie Manning!! Grand Isle will be serving up shrimp & grits with andouille gravy alongside other tastings from Fulton Street neighbors including - Ruth’s Chris, Manning’s, Gordon Biersch and Besh Steakhouse!! All this yummy fun is just $20.00 per person and includes a featured glass of wine. There's also going to be entertainment from The Hot 8 Brass Band!
*Be sure to stop in at Grand Isle for their holiday happy hour from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and check out their brand new festive drinks tonight and all season long: Under the Mistletoe Martini, Hot Apple Cider and Peppermint Martini - Ho! Ho! Ho!

Come let the dogs out at Spun Crossroad's Fresh Friday!  Experience fresh, local, seasonal produce under the backdrop of fresh, local specialized art, all while helping out a local non-profit!  Tonight it's Think DOG, it's Friday!  A FREE event at the New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.) from 7:00 to 10 pm.  There's going to be libations created by Yolanda Butler, mixologist extraordinaire with a "Battle of the cockTAILs", cast your ballot by seleting from two fresh delicious drinks that will have your tail wagging!  There will also be cooking demos by Fatoush!  Proceeds from all the fun will go to Dag's House!!

Tonight is Finn's Christmas Party and Tacky Sweater Contest at Finn McCool's Irish Pub (3701 Banks Street). There's a festive evening in store for you with FREE DRINKS and FREE FOOD plus:
- 5 to 7 pm: Tree trimming...bring in your best handmade ornament...get a delicious free drink and try to win a $20 bar tab
- 7 to 9 pm: Come sit on Santa's lap and get a wee hug from Mrs Claus. You'll get something whether you've been naughty or nice.
- 7 to 9 pm: Help the IRISH NETWORK NEW ORLEANS and THE FRENCH AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE at their meet and greet. Bring an unwrapped gift for "TOYS FOR TOT'S" or a pair of kiddies pajamas and book for THE PAJAMA PROJECT"
- 10pm: A Free drink for every tacky sweater wearer...who will win the Contest
- 9 to Midnight... Sing along to the tunes of Aine O'Doherty and Danny Burns

It's Toys for Tots at the Irish House (1432 St. Charles) all day long! There's a toy drive all day long, and anyone who brings a toy gets the military and service discount. Tonight Comedy Fusion will also be a part of the Toy Drive. The comedy show features RedBean, James Cusimano, Jonah Bascle and J.D. Sledge - Admission is $15 at the door or $5 with an unwrapped donation of a toy!

Saturday Fun!

Get all your holiday presents at the Piety Street Holiday Market at the Old Ironworks (612 Piety) - Saturdays 12/8 and 12/15..Piety Street Market decks the halls for *two* big holiday markets. Creative art, handmade jewelry and crafts, homemade goodies, vintage collectibles, flea market finds & great local music with:
Saturday, December 8: Jesse Reeks
Saturday, December 15: Frenchmen String Trio
12/8 & 12/15: New Orleans Nightingales: Ingrid Lucia & Friends

And you don't want to miss Freretstivus!! A true holiday celebration on Freret and Napoleon from Noon to 5:00 pm....There's gonna be a 90 local vendors, selling food, art, jewelry, and collectibles. Please shop locally for the holiday season.
This fun fest features:
*The Airing of Grievances. Win a prize if your grievance is selected!
*Feats of Strength. Tug of war with the Big Easy Roller Girls.
*Freretstivus Pole. Unadorned, of course.
*Regifting Booth. Give one. Take one.
*Pet Adoptions from Zeus' Place
*FREE live music by with - 3 Piece Spicy at Noon - ChaWa at 1:45 - Parishoners at 3:30...Don't miss out on the fun!!

It's that time again boys and girls. The Very Bad Santa Crawl 2012!! No matter if you've been naughty or nice all year. It's time to get your RED on and bust loose in the Quarter. And...What a Deal! Only $5 and what do you get for this? A Very Bad Santa button for your collection, discounted drinks at all stops, ladies dancing on the bar at Coyote Uglies, no cover charge to Barely Legal with VIP access - saving you up to $25, and a number of surprises along the way. What a night!  Santas, Elves, Reindeer Games, Ho Ho's, and YOU!  Want to pay now and get it over with? Only $5 online, and $10 day of because you are making us work when we want to be partying. If you pay online, your wristband will be waiting for you when you show up. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=HSK6U56HX7E8U


All Weekend Long Fun!

Celebrate Holiday on the Boulevard! For the thirteenth consecutive year, music and merriment are the order of the day as Ashé Cultural Arts Center (1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.) lights up the boulevard with musicians, actors, merchants, and the community, creating an astonishing holiday family festival and marketplace in Central City New Orleans. All entertainment is indoors, free and open to the public. Check out the amazing schedule of events below:

FRIDAY
10:00 am Kwanzaa Demonstration with the iconic Mama YéYé Imagination Tour (dance & drum workshop) with Bamboula 2000
Noon Community Leaders Luncheon and Open House
7-10 pm “Healing Force” CD Release Party

SATURDAY
Noon – 8:00 pm | Vendor Marketplace
Noon Ashé’s Kuumba Institute
12:45 pm Ashé College Unbound
2:00 pm Green Charter School Dancing Dolls & STV Dancers
2:30 pm Lucky Lou with F & S
2:45 pm Cfreedom
3:00 pm Black Kold Madina
3:45 pm Rudy Mills & The Caribbean Funk Band
5:00 pm Bamboula 2000 with special guests Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians
6:30 pm The Healing Force All-stars featuring Kidd Jordan, Germaine Bazzle, Rev. Lois Dejean
Kalamu ya Salaam, Monica McIntyre, Morikeba Kouyate, Carol Bebelle

SUNDAY
1:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Vendor Marketplace
1:00 pm Golden Voices Community Choir
1:30 pm John Mosley & Friends
2:15 pm Gina Brown
3:15 pm Phat Word
4:00 pm Lloyd Daly & Friends
4:45 pm Michaela Harrison
5:30 pm Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Orchestra
7:00 pm Zion Trinity

Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this weekend...If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire -  http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!!  And be sure to tune in to WWOZ today from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm it's the Fund Drive and time to pledge with my hubby Bill deTurk - remember to support "your live local music" station!!!


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Happy Halloween with a Scary Parade, Spooky Parties and Horrifying Houses!

Happy Halloween - Boo!!!

A Scary Parade!!

Tonight Molly's at the Market hosts their annual Halloween Parade beginning at 1107 Decatur St. and winds its way around the entire French Quarter. Dress up as your favorite ghouly or beasty and join in on the scary fun. Assembly begins in front of Molly's at 6 p.m., parade rolls out at 6:30. The parade will proceed to The Erin Rose (811 Conti St.) via Decatur, Bienville and Burgundy Street. The parade will pause for an hour at The Rose to refill drinks and conduct a no-holds-barred costume contest!! From there it’s a straight shot through the heart of the French Quarter’s world-famous Bourbon Street and back to home base at Molly’s.  Scary!!

Spooky Parties!!

It's that time of year again. Time for Halloween at Pat O'Brien's (718 St. Peter) and the annual crowd-pleasing Costume Contest. As always the contestants will be struttin' their stuff and the winners will be taking home cash. It'll be a wild Halloween night in the Quarter! The categories for the contest are sexiest, funniest and scariest. Either come out dressed to win or come help us judge by cheering on your favorites! The party officially starts at 9:00 pm, but get there a little early for the signature drink of the evening - $3 Purple People Eaters!!!

Finn McCool's (3701 Banks) has ghoulish fun going on too in Mid-City - It's Finn McGhoul's Hallowe'en Party!!  Hallowe'en is the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believe that at this time the ghosts of the dead mingle with the living on their journey to the other world. So DRESS UP and Take part in the costume contest at 10:00 pm! Play some Ghoulish Games! Nibble on some frightening food! BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY dance away the evil spirits to DJ Eugene Oubliete starting up at 8:00 pm.  How do you say "Boo" - in Celtic?

It's a HOLLAWEEN at the Maple Leaf Bar (8316 Oak St.) Uptown!! Sponsored by NOLA Brewery brings you a Halloween throwdown you don't want to miss. Get funky from 8-10 with the NOLA Brew Pre Party with free draft in the back of the Leaf, food, a costume contest, and special surprises to kick the festivities off.  Indian funk legends Cha Wa starts the night off followed by Flow Tribe bringing the house down all night long! Tickets are $12 or $10 with a student ID. Get down to The Maple Leaf on Halloween night for a backbone cracking good time!

Horrifying Houses!!

The Mortuary Haunted House
4800 Canal St., 504.483.2350
Tonight from 7 to 11 p.m.
Admission: $25, with VIP tickets available.

House of Shock
319 Butterworth St., Jefferson, 504.734.7462
Tonight through Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m.
Admission: $25, with VIP tickets available.

Have a ghoulishly good Halloween and for more fun shows and events going on click on the WWOZ Livewire - http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!



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A Thursday with Wine, Music and a Big Irish Party!!

Good morning everybody...one more day 'til the weekend...yea!!!

Need a little culture and music? You gotta go to the show at the Ogden Southern Museum of Art - better known as Ogden after Hours.  The concert starts up at 6:00 pm. with Shannon McNally's earthy, bluesy and fresh voice.  Her unbridled approach to songwriting carries the great blues and blues/rock tradition on to new generations of fans......so come on down for some music, culture and fun..don't miss it!!

Go hang out at City Park this evening for The Thursdays at Twilight Garden Concert Series with jazz pianist David Torkanowsky. The gates open up at 5:00 pm and the performance starts at 6:00 pm in the City Park Botanical Garden Pavilion of the Two Sisters...There is an admission charge, but hey, it's helping the Park out..so....it's a good thing...$8 for adults and $3 for children.

If you're looking for some wine to taste in a unique setting you need to head out to the New Orleans Fairgrounds from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for the first "Tastings at the Track - European Treasures" sponsored by Dorignacs.  Attendees will have the opportunity to taste a collection of reds, whites and sparkling gems from France, Germany, Italy and Spain.  This casual, reception style tasting will also feature a selection of cheeses and wine experts who will discuss and answer wine related questions.  Tickets are $25 per person and are available at Dorignac's (710 Veterans Blvd in Metairie). Tickets will be available at the door if the event is not sold-out.

Celebrate the Launch of the brand new website for the Irish Network in New Orleans tonight at Finn McCool's (3701 Banks) from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm in beautiful Mid-City...There's gonna be free food free Guinness, Jameson cocktails, NOLA beer and Merlin wine.  Entertainment from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the students from the Joni Muggivan School of Irish Dance, and from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. the New Orleans-based Irish roots rocker Danny Burns performs, and throughout the evening DJ Dylan O’Donnell (of NOLA Bulls fame) will spin tunes! Sponsored by the Irish Network of New Orleans - sign-up this evening to become a founding member!!

Stay in Mid-City for lots more tonight!

If you're looking for some more dancing - head on over to Chickie Wah Wah (2828 Canal)  for swing dance lessons from 7:00 to 8:00 pm - (go to http://www.nolajitterbugs.org/ for info and to sign up for lessons.)   And stick around afterwards for the Some Like it Hot at 8:00 pm!   It's gonna be a fun night at the Chickie's!!

The Banks Street Bar (4401 Banks) has two great shows with Kenny Triche at 8:00 pm and stay on for Dave Jordan & The Neighborhood Improvement Association at 10:00 pm!

Stay in the 'hood and head on down to the Bayou Park Bar (542 S. Jeff Davis Pkwy.) for the Pocket Aces Brass Band at 10:00 pm!

For more fun stuff to do and more music...check out the WWOZ Livewire - http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar!



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